PAHOKEE, Fla. — Commissioners in Pahokee called a contentious special meeting on Friday to fire the city manager, and some commissioners are accusing the mayor of wrongdoing.
The city commission has been divided and at odds for nearly a year, and fireworks started flying once again Friday.
The mayor and vice mayor went head-to-head in last week's election. The mayor won, and on Friday they were bickering back-and-forth and shouting at times inside commission chambers.
Vice Mayor Regina Bohlen called Friday's meeting and made a motion to prosecute Mayor Keith Babb, accusing him of illegal distribution of city funds.
Bohlen said the mayor paid the former city manager — who resigned last year — more than $60,000 dollars in sick and vacation pay after the commission voted to wait until they were given more direction.
That motion failed 3 to 2.
Then Bohlen filed another motion to fire City Manager Greg Thompson.
In the end, after fighting back and forth, the resolution to fire the city manager passed 4 to 1.
"We were hoping with the the new commission coming in a lot of cleanup and change would be made and the public would have some confidence in their new commission. And then this comes as another road block to this process. So disappointing, but hopefully this will be the last part of this to occur," Babb said.
It's unclear whether the city manager will receive $50,000 in severance pay. That's still up in the air.
The new commission will be sworn in on Tuesday.
